Blood glucose level in newborn infants of high risk pregnancy

Hazards of hypoglycemia in newborn infants may be much multiplied in infants of high risk pregnancy as well as high risk newborns. This study was carried out on 138 newborn infants of high risk pregnant mothers and high risk newborns in addition to 20 healthy newborn infants of normal pregnancy as control. The groups included in the study were: Diabetic mothers [15], primiparous mothers over 35 years [15], underweight mothers under 60 kg [5], mothers with rheumatic heart disease [8], mothers with chronic hypertension [6], preeclamptic mothers [12], eclamptic mothers [6], multiparous mothers over 6 deliveries [8], premature newborns [25] and small for gestational age newborns [38]. The mothers were subjected to complete diagnostic work-up and estimation of their blood glucose just before delivery. Each newborn was examined for congenital malformations, Apgar scoring, gestational age determination and estimation of blood glucose level at birth, at one hour and at 4 hours. The results showed that the blood glucose level at 4 hours was significantly lower than its level at birth in all groups. Significant lower blood glucose level than that of the control group was seen in infants of mothers suffering diabetes, chronic hypertension and eclampsia at one and 4 hours. The same observation was seen in prematures and small for gestational age newborns. It was recommended to screen the blood glucose level in high risk newborns and to be fed earlier than normal infants to avoid hypoglycemia